Summer Survival Tips for Moms Who Work from Home

I started "working" as a Scentsy consultant almost 6 years ago. At the time, I was teaching 8th grade English and had a 9 month old baby girl at home.

I decided when I joined, that I was going to make a business out of these wickless candles, so every night when dinner was done and Addison was in bed, I worked on my Scentsy business.

That meant placing, sorting, and packaging orders; writing thank you notes; networking; planning training for my team; marketing; having parties; etc.

Within 6 months of being a Scentsy consultant, I was able to resign from my teaching job, and within 9 months, I had completely replaced my teaching salary.

By then I was pregnant with my 2nd child and attempting to be a stay at home and work from home mom.

Direct sales is flexible. It allows you to work when you want, how you want, and subsequently make as much as you want. But you have to be willing to do the work. And the truth is, working from home for yourself is tough.

Six years later, I am still at home with my 3 kiddos and now my hubby as well. We have a team of over 10,000 consultants and have over 100 consultants in leadership positions. Over the past 6 years, I have learned a thing or two about working from home, and I continue to learn more everyday about how to balance it all. These are my summer survival tips for Work From Home Moms.

1. Write down your goals for the summer. 

The majority of work from home mommas miss this key step! It's so easy to get wrapped up in the kids' activities and all the craziness. Make sure you have a clear cut goal for what you want to accomplish then set out to make it happen. 

2. Take advantage of 10 minute tasks.

I have a list of tasks that only take 10 minutes. {Answer 2 emails. Respond to 2 facebook messages. Make one customer care call. Check the status of orders. Label product. Write a note of encouragement to a team member. Write a thank you note to a customer.....etc.} When a moment of quiet arises, I have the things that I can accomplish in 10 minutes available to check off the list. 

3. Create a mobile office. 

This is key. I have everything I need to get all my work done in a bag that goes all over the house with me. It goes to the park, the library, swimming lessons, Chick-fil-A.....everywhere! And it is key to working from home successfully in the summer. 

4. Schedule fun summertime activities with the kids. 

It's summertime! So make sure your kids are having fun. Make it a point to plan and execute fun activities for you and the kids. Set aside a day or two every week where you don't "work" while they're awake, and you play the role of a stay at home momma. No work, no to-do list. Just summer fun. You only have 18 summers with them. Don't waste them! 

5. Plan out your week. Plan out your day. Then work your plan. {From To Do to Done}

Once you have goals set in place for the summer, you need to look at your calendar and see how and when you're going to make those goals a reality. Sit down every Sunday, take your "to do" list and make time for those tasks in your week. If you don't schedule the time for it to happen, it probably won't happen. If you schedule a time to make it happen, you can take it from "to to" to "done!"

6. Be flexible. 

As a momma (and a momma who works from home) things don't always go as you plan for them to. It just won't always go your way no matter how much you want it to. I promise. I've tried to make it happen my way all the time, and it just doesn't happen. Not when little people are involved. When you work from home, you have to be flexible and know that when things don't go exactly as planned, it's okay. There is always tomorrow. 

7. Date your spouse. 

As a work from home mom, it's easy to rely on your spouse to swoop in and take over when he gets home from work. And sometimes, that's okay. But make sure you're giving your hubby the attention and love he deserves and needs. The bond and friendship the two of you share is vital in the long term stability of your family. Put your husband at the top of your list. Make date night a priority. 

8. Get help when you need it. 

After 3 years of doing it all on my own, I hired an assistant part time to help me with the things that I call "penny tasks." Penny tasks are the things that need to get done but that don't necessarily make you money. Some examples are: labeling catalogs, making deposits at the bank, sorting orders, labeling product, etc. It also would't hurt to get a sitter every once in a while to hang out with the kiddos so that you can get more crossed off your list. I promise you that you can get 3x as much done in a coffee house where there are no children asking you where their shoes are than you can when you're at home. Those days every once in a while are necessary and worth every penny that a sitter costs. 

9. Create systems so you can work smarter not harder. 

Do you know everything that needs to get done in a week when it comes to your business? If there are things you do every week or even every month, you need a system to make sure they get done efficiently. Systems can take time to put into place, but they will save you time in the long run. 

10. Remember that you are a mom 1st. 

Your kids come 1st always. And if you work from home, it's probably because you wanted to be the primary caregiver for your children. Don't let your computer screen or the top of your head be the thing that your children remember about you when they think about their childhood. Create boundaries for how much you're going to work when they're around. If they're old enough, have conversations about what they think is an appropriate and fair amount of time for you to work while they're home. And always, always, always, be willing to let it all go. 

Jump on the trampoline. Go for an unscheduled walk. Snuggle up on the couch to watch a movie. Paint fingernails. Let them fix your hair. Build towers. Play trains. Have sword fights. Be a ninja. Read to them. And most importantly remember that they are your world. They are more important than the money you'll make or the status you'll build. They will remember you for the times you closed the laptop, put down the phone, and said, "yes, let's do that." 

On a totally separate note, here is today's baby weight loss update:

Today's food choices:

A cup of coffee (with sugar in the raw and creamer) and a handful of skittles.....we're off to a rough start people.....

I had lunch with one of the frontline consultants on my team at Panera and enjoyed a delicious "You Pick 2" with an Asian Sesame Chicken Salad and a cup of Garden Vegetable soup with a baguette on the side.

Iced tea (unsweet) and an iced coffee (with splenda and half & half)

Mini carrots, 3 graham crackers and 1 Velata Dark Chocolate circle. (I did well here today because I knew I would have to report to all of you!) Simply Salted popcorn after dinner while watching the Bachelorette. Delicious! 

Brian cooked up some delicious grilled chicken, broccoli, and pasta carbonara. 

I also told you I was going to be accountable (and honest) with you about my weight and my body. I snapped a few pics today. 

Well, I don't like that picture. But I'll like it when I'm wearing the same clothes in a few months and I'm in shape again! This is basically what I looked like when I was 3 months pregnant. Blah. 

Then I took a pic of me with that little bugger because me being chubby is much better if he's around. 

So my healthy, strong, non-dieting weight is between 128 and 132 pounds. And that's the goal. It may take several months, and I'm okay with that. But I need the accountability, so this is it for me. 

My plan is to be aware of what I'm eating and make better food choices (more whole food, less processed food) and be active every single day. 

                                           

Today it was a nice evening walk with the kiddos. I wanted it to be a run on the treadmill, but in the process of trying to bring the treadmill in, we discovered that it was not going to fit through the door. (I know I said I brought it inside the other day, but I actually only had it at the door....I couldn't get it to fit inside by myself and it's super heavy.) We attempted to get it into the air conditioned inside today, but it was decided that the treadmill would continue to live in the sunroom where there is no air conditioner and only windows. It is smoking hot in there. But Brian agreed to get me an air conditioner for that room (here we come craigslist....no excuses), so there are runs planned for this week!